Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-02-05
THE FRAGRANT WEED.
IMPORTED AND NATIVE TOBACCO
Some Account OF the Manner In Which
the Material for Imported Cigars
is Raised-Natve Products.

Cuba IN an interview with one OF our |
reporters, said:
You can buy just as vile trash in
Cuba as that sold by the lowest China
man who ,oeddles cigars at cent apiece
in the slums of New York. When
first went to Havana, used to buy my
cigars promiscuously in any OF the dill
ferent "fabricos" and hardly ever
found good one. Aiterward | made
IL my business to find out the name of
the best makers and brands by getting
sample boxes from the factories, and
then, having fixed upon the kind that
suited me best, purchased those and
hose only. When you remember that
there are more than one hundred and
fifty cigar manufactures in Havana
alone it is not surprising that a great
many bad cigars are found there.
The Oldest factory in Cuba was
founded in 1903 by Don Francisco
Cabanos, to whose descendants it now
belongs. When it was first started
they used to sell only about four hun
dred thousand or five hundred thousand
cigars year. In 1896 the sales had in
creased to 100000 and by 1875 they
were sending out about sixteen million
cigars yearly to all parts, of the world.
The firm owns three vegas, or tobacco
farms, and the amount raised upon
these reaches about six thousand bales,
900 OF these being exported, as the
factory does not use common grades.
Is Havana tobacco really the best for
! cigars? Yes, believe it is generally
acknowledged by experts to be the
finest favored, though some consider
that grown on the Mexican coast its
equal in flavor, and Connecticut tobacco
is certainly its superior as wrapper.
A Cuban vega is quite pretty sight.
The plant grows to height Of from six
to nine feet and has oblong, spear
shaped leaves, the tobacco being
stronger when only few leaves are
permitted to grow. When young the
leaves are dark-green color and have
rather a smooth appearance, but they
afterward change toa yellowish green.
The plant grows quickly, and by care
ful pruning they obtain tine.colored
leaf, varying from straw color to a
dark brown or black. 1t takes about
eight or ten weeks to ripen, and the
leaves grow thicker all the time. The
plant throws out quite pleasant odor
while growing, like most tropical
plants. The blossom is ii bright pink.
There is very strict cigar etlquet in
Havana, and to infringe any Of its rules
is construed as an insult. For instance,
when you are asked for a light, to
hand your cigar without first knocking
off the ashes is considered terrible
breach of etIquet; though even that is
not SO bad rs passing a cigar handed
you to obtain light from third per-
son for similar purpose. The rule is
to hand back the cigar with as graceful
wave as you can command, and then,
if necessary, pass your own cigar to the
third person. In Cuba every one
smokes-men, women and children.
Cigars are so plentiful that the usual
custom, when you ask for light, even
from stranger (Which, by the way
no one hesitates to do,) is to pull out
your case and offer him cigar, by way
of acknowledging his civility in stop.
ping to accommodate you. To refuse
cigar from Cuban is to offer him Q
direct insult.
Yes, 1t is quite true that Cuban ladies
occasionally indulge in the weed
as as usually reported. Another mis-
taken notion is that Cubans smoke
their Cigars green. On the contrary
the leaf is always entirely dried before
being touched by the manufacturer
People down there are very particular
indeed to preserve the aroma and fra
GRANGE OF their cigars by keeping then
IN wrappers or oiled and soft silks, anC
some gentlemen have these produceC
at their tables with ny much ceremony
as an Englshman uses when he brings
; out his old wine.
The great rival Of Havana tobacco il
! grown in Connecticut, and is known al
/, "Connecticut Seed-Leaf." Though it
flavor is interior to that OF the Cubar
tobacco its texture is great deal finer
: and is considered much more desirable
+ for cigar wrappers. The plant is yer!
strong and vigorous, and more show,
than any other variety OF tobacco. Th'
stalk is straight and large and the lea
bAOoA diio SOiOA OiOiiS
r light or dark cinnamon. 1t has beer
grown in Connecticut for more thar
half century, and attains its creates
perfection in the rich meadows os tn,
Connecticut valley. Tobacco was in
troduced into OHIO about the sam,
time it was first grown in Connecticut
i and the Buckeye State now produce
2 large quantities, used chiefly for chew
K ing and smoking. Wisconsin has quit
: lately come to the fore as a tobacco
e growing State, and large crops hav
q been raised there during the last ieS
S years.
. Virginia tobacco has had reputation
for more than two hundred and eft
q years. 1t was one of the first product
. cultivated by the English settlers, an
. had made name for itself in less thai
0 a quarter of "A century after the first SCI
: tlement of the colony. The plan
grows to the height OF from five t
seven feet, the leaves being long an
broad The finest Virginia tobacc
comes from the mountainous countie
d but the amount is small compared t
n the large quantities raised on the low
Z lands of the Dan and James river;